Glossary · Manufacturing
What Is Retained Sample?
A retained sample is a unit of a finished batch kept in controlled storage by the manufacturer after the goods have shipped, so that a later question about that batch can be answered by examining the actual product. Retention periods are set by the factory's quality system and the markets the product enters.
Why it matters when you source
Retained samples are how a complaint from six months ago gets answered with evidence instead of a guess. It is a small, unglamorous commitment that separates a real manufacturing system from an assembly operation.
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